Hearing it laid out like that…was just so heartbreaking. But I smiled at her, wiping my own nose. It felt like the weight on my shoulders had lightened ever so slightly upon getting that poison spoken out loud before it had the chance to fester…well, to fester any longer than the year it already had. Because knowing Claire, she had likely beaten herself up with overwhelming guilt, shame, righteous anger at herself, and ultimately blind anger at me upon hearing about my disappearance and probable death.
I could tell her shoulders felt lighter as well. Cain could just suck a koala wang for trying to interrupt girl time—even if his banter had eased the tension somewhat. I silently told him this with a look, letting him know that brothers should be seen and not heard for the remainder of the adult conversation going on in the front seat. He grinned toothily, saluting me.
I rolled my eyes, turning back to Claire. “Now, tell me how it all went down on your end. Maybe the three of us can jog loose something important. Find a way to end this insanity,” I said, gesturing at the window and beyond.
And she did—in very clinical, concise terms, not giving me the chance to interrupt.
“I wasn’t here for all of it. I returned to Kansas City a few weeks after you apparently disappeared—coming home to see why you hadn’t returned my calls. I heard about your disappearance, and that Roland went to Abundant Angel, demanding to see Fabrizio. Demanding to see you. Even Cain. Anyone who had been present at the church the day you disappeared. Fabrizio declined, probably expecting you to return soon, or not trusting a promise of safe conduct with Roland after all the threats he was making about going to war with the Shepherds if you didn’t return in one week. That’s about the time I showed up. I heard about many closed-door meetings taking place between Roland, Haven, and Henri Bellerose, a visiting Master from Paris.”
I nodded, letting her know I was familiar with Bellerose.
“The Shepherds were uneasy about three Master Vampires plotting behind closed doors after making such brazen threats as Roland had. Everyone was walking on eggshells. Many of the supernatural factions you’re familiar with fled in those early days, including the Nephilim, the Templars, and the Chancery. Then a few dozen men from Rome came to support Fabrizio, and when Roland heard about it, he declared for all to hear that it was a preemptive act of war—claiming that the Shepherds wouldn’t have called in allies if you were safe and sound. And coming from an ex-Shepherd himself, many believed him. Who better to know the inner workings of the Vatican?”
She swallowed audibly, turning onto a side street.
“That’s when Roland put the barrier up around the city—without warning anyone—preventing any more Shepherds from entering or any more supernatural factions from fleeing. Haven was furious with Roland for it, demanding he take it down—that he had no right to do such a thing, let alone threaten war with the Shepherds without the approval of the Sanguine Council. When Roland refused to listen, Haven tried to use his strength as Roland’s maker to force him to submit, to cease his warmongering, and to make peace.”
Cain was leaning forward, his ears practically twitching in anticipation. In the back of my mind, I was wondering why Roland hadn’t approached the Sanguine Council for support. They had seemed to see him as their poster child—asking him to take a hold of his powers and bring honor and respect to the council of Master Vampires. Which meant that either he feared how they would react, or he had become so wrapped up in his personal vendetta that he refused any outside help.
After all, the Shepherds had abandoned him, and then they dared to stand in his way, keeping him from me—the one person he seemed to care about most in this world. Maybe I really had been his moral compass, his lighthouse in a stormy, turbulent sea.
Claire grimaced before continuing, as if the words were particularly distasteful. “Roland not only withstood Haven’s power…he managed to kill Haven right then and there.”
Cain whistled. “That’s impressive. Tough to stand up to your Master at all, let alone win. There’s some kind of bond made between the two. Roland must have some crazy powers—or Haven was incredibly stupid to attempt turning a Shepherd in the first place. That’s never been done before, right? Maybe there was a reason for that…”
I pointed a thumb blindly back at him. “That one. It was a gamble Roland was forced to take.” I laughed bitterly at a new thought. “Ironically, he became a vampire to prevent a war between Shepherds and the Sanguine Council.” I waved a hand towards the window. “Hashtag NailedIt,” I muttered dryly.
Chapter 13
Claire nodded, knowing full well how Roland’s change had gone down—and how the Vatican had turned their backs on him so fast it was almost like they had never supported him in the first place—back when he was dutifully killing their enemies, hunting monsters for them, saving little orphan girls from vampires, and overall being a shining example of a pious man. I didn’t condone his actions, but I couldn’t dismiss his motivations.
“Following Haven’s death, any vampires still loyal to him were promptly slaughtered, leaving the rest to wisely join Roland. He even scooped up Bellerose with little to no effort. It was either join or die, and without any means to leave the city, Henri chose life.”
I nodded, idly studying the nice homes around us. There were less signs of disrepair here, but the homes still felt less vibrant—as if the neighborhood had grown reclusive.
“With so many new vampires under his command, Roland promoted Bellerose and some other vampire, who I haven’t identified, to be his lieutenants, but rumor makes me wonder if Bellerose’s promotion was more of a publicity stunt or ego boost than for any real need of assistance—to have the Master of Paris under his thumb where everyone could see. Just another tool in his work-belt to use when needed and put on a shelf when not.”
Cain shook his head, his eyes distant, doing absolutely nothing for my confidence.
I ventured a question, not wanting to ask it but some small part of me hoping for a certain answer. “Any chance one of these lieutenants is really wearing the pants in the relationship? Or maybe both?” I asked. “Before this all began, Roland warned me that Henri Bellerose was incredibly old and very powerful.”
Claire scoffed as if I’d told a joke. “Not a chance. Roland is no one’s puppet. Trust me. If you’d been here, seen what I’ve seen…” she shuddered, shaking her head. “The Red Pastor owns this town. Period.”
I saw it all unfolding before me, pieces of Claire’s story clicking into place. “And with Roland’s barrier up, the Sanguine Council had no idea what was going on or were too late to do anything about it if they did. Even now, they are helpless to interfere. Unless they wanted all of this to happen,” I added, figuratively putting on my tinfoil hat.
Claire shrugged. “I’m just telling you what I know for certain. I’ll leave speculation to you.” She checked over her shoulder to switch lanes before entering a quiet, tree-filled neighborhood, driving beneath a tunnel of thick branches and leaves. “That’s when Roland began recruiting, turning humans to build his army.”
Cain and I sat in silence, wondering how much worse it could get.
“With his growing numbers, Roland then set his sights on Abundant Angel, letting them know that their allotted time to hand you over had expired. A few of the Conclave must have snuck in before the barrier went up, because I’m pretty sure they are the only reason the church still stands. They protect the property with a ward and their power, and the Shepherds—some little more than boys in training—do what little they can. There were a lot of fights in the beginning, and Roland soon put up a barrier around his own church like Abundant Angel’s—one only Roland’s minions could cross. A twist on the trope that vampires can’t cross a threshold without being invited inside.”
Cain let out a whistle, leaning back into his seat. “That’s actually pretty clever,” he mused, shaking his head. Clever wasn’t the word I would have chosen, but it wasn’t wrong.
Something Claire had said was nag
ging at me, though. “The vampire who attacked us tonight, Le Bone, was strong. And he used to work for Bellerose. Could he be Roland’s second lieutenant?” I asked.
Claire shrugged. “No idea. I’d never heard his name before you said it back in the apartment. But if Le Boner worked for Bellerose, he now works for Roland. I’ve never been able to learn the second lieutenant’s name. The vampires are close-knit. I only knew about Bellerose because he was one of three Master Vampires in town when I first arrived, and that seemed like two too many, in my opinion.”
“And all this fighting has gone unnoticed by the Regulars? The police?” Cain cut in.
Claire grimaced. “Roland has the local government in his pocket. Somehow.”
“He turned them?” I whispered, my eyebrows threatening to climb off my forehead.
Claire shrugged. “Whatever he did, they fell into line very quickly. They don’t request support from outside of town and the news channels continue to act like nothing has changed. No one has any idea there is a new kingdom in Kansas City. It’s unbelievable.”
Cain let out a slow whistle. “That can’t be sustainable. Sooner or later some Regular is going to leave town to visit a relative and spread some juicy details…”
Claire glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “Oh? And who’s going to believe them? Especially when there is nothing official in the news. Oh, Auntie May. Kansas City has just gone to hell lately. Trash in the streets, murders and abductions every day. Even the church seems to be fighting gangs of thugs,” Claire said in a pantomime whine. “Then Auntie May turns on the television and sees nothing of the sort reported. Clearly, her niece is exaggerating, overstressed by the big city life and she decides to encourage her niece to move to a smaller town closer to home.”
I sat back in my seat, thinking. Cain wasn’t wrong. Neither was Claire. Eventually something would get out, but how long would it take? It had already been a year, lending credit to Claire’s statement.
Controlling the media and the government meant he controlled the narrative in addition to having superior numbers. Which made an already powerful, dangerous man nigh untouchable. Even if someone managed to get the truth on recording or something, what was really happening in town, that person would likely be silenced by the very people who should have helped him expose the truth.
I brushed my fingers through my hair and thumped my head against the headrest. “Any demon activity in town?” I asked, closing my eyes. Because on top of all of this, Samael was still out there and, more than anything, he wanted to battle me, destroy me.
Claire shook her head. “None. Not since you ran into Samael the day you disappeared.”
I drummed my fingers across the armrest, thinking over everything I had heard.
“If I can get in front of him, prove who I am, maybe I can get him to stop this insanity,” I said, feeling as if I was trying to convince myself as much as the others.
Claire was staring at me, not bothering to watch the road, and I realized we had stopped at a stop sign on a quiet street. “No one sees Roland, Callie. And I mean that. No one.”
I gritted my teeth. “He will see me.”
“Technically, he will not see you,” Cain growled, emphasizing the last word. Roland would see a demon. Not Callie. Right.
“I’ve been living—surviving—here like a refugee for a year, Callie. I’ve been hunted just for knowing you—hunted by both Shepherds and vampires.” I felt like wilting under her glare. “So believe me when I say you can or cannot do something. If I knew a way to put an end to this, I would tell you. But it sure as hell won’t be by storming the castle.”
Still sensing my stubborn doubt, she held up a hand, ticking off fingers as she spoke.
“Considering Roland’s army, you don’t stand a chance,” she said, holding up one finger. “No matter how badass you are, you can’t take on that many vampires and his pack of werewolves—run by our dear old friends, Paradise and Lost, if you remember them.”
I grimaced at that. They were formidable, ruthless, and their loyalty to Roland was unparalleled—possibly even magically bound.
“Secondly, you don’t look like Callie. All he will see is what I see.” My mouth clicked shut. “Thirdly, even if you made it past his army and his two lieutenants, and didn’t look like a demon, you quite literally could not get past the ward protecting the church without Roland’s express permission. The same goes for Fabrizio. Each one sits like a king in his castle, never daring to step foot outside these days, letting their serfs do the dirty work.”
That was interesting. To hear they both locked themselves up inside their fortresses. I could understand Fabrizio doing so, but why would Roland hide if he had such superior numbers?
Claire’s face looked haunted for a moment. “Back in the beginning, I saw Fabrizio himself railing against the doors, flinging around enough magic to destroy the Sprint Center—all to no avail. He and his Shepherds ended up fleeing before the vampires and werewolves could regroup and flank them. That’s the closest I’ve seen anyone ever get, and they took a lot of casualties in their retreat.”
I let out a breath of despair. I wasn’t giving up, but she made good points. There was no denying that the Roland I once knew was now gone, and a bloodthirsty man of the cloth was all that remained. It didn’t matter that he had done all this for my sake—he was a war criminal if even half of what Claire said was true. He needed to be put down like a rabid dog—no matter that the dog had once been man’s best friend. Now he was a liability. A danger to all those around him—even those he had once loved most.
Execution was the only answer.
Because he had taught me the difference between right and wrong—and now he had perverted it. Justice demanded he die by his own hypocrisy.
There could be no absolution for Roland Haviar.
But I didn’t have to worry about that yet, because even if I did look like myself, I stood no chance of getting close to the Master of the city. Or Fabrizio for that matter. I needed to find another way to end this.
“I think I’m ready to see the turtle-snake guy,” I said in a hollow tone.
“Let’s stick with calling him the Black Warrior,” Claire said tightly. “I’m not sure how patient he is, and we already have enough enemies to worry about. We’re looking for allies or answers, remember?”
“Got it,” Cain piped in cheerfully. “Let’s go see Mister Turtle-head.”
Claire sighed in resignation, unable to draw up a smile.
I couldn’t blame her. I bet humor had faded pretty fast when she saw everyone around her become the opposite of what they had once been.
When the good became the bad.
When the righteous became the wicked.
When all hope died and despair entered the world kicking and screaming.
Even Cain’s mirth faded as Claire gripped the steering wheel, taking us through quiet neighborhood streets to meet a ninja god.
Chapter 14
We parked outside a humbly quaint mansion near the plaza. The single-story home was tucked back from the road obscured by ancient trees with low, wide-reaching branches and thick foliage, but I sensed the building was just as large and costly as its neighboring homes. Three men in sharp, perfectly tailored suits stood on the porch before a tall set of double wooden doors. They watched us with dark eyes that glinted like obsidian gems in the glow from the mellow lamps lining the meandering, snake-like flagstone walkway that connected the front door to the drive where we had parked. No garage here.
“If I see one talking rat…” Cain murmured, “I’m out.”
“Starlight would have said something about a talking rat,” Claire said with absolutely zero confidence. “I think…” she added, letting out a breath.
I placed a comforting hand on hers, smiling faintly. “We need answers on how to deal with Roland without a full-frontal assault. Gods usually have them.” Cain grunted but didn’t offer any alternatives.
It was still late, but sun
rise was only a couple of hours or so away, and the city was nestled in that darkest part of the night right before dawn. I let out a breath and opened my door, hopping out of the Jeep. I was so overcome with everything I had seen and heard that I realized I probably wouldn’t have even cared if this meeting ended up being a trap orchestrated by Roland or Fabrizio.
I might have even welcomed it. Because each step I took led me closer to executing my mentor or confronting Fabrizio, giving me the chance to prove it was me, Callie.
Similar to Helen of Troy, I was the face that launched a thousand…freaks into war.
My feet had never felt so heavy. Cain seemed to sense this and squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. I gave him a faint smile for his effort and the look on his face let me know he understood my trepidation as clear as day.
The three Asian men stared at us as we approached, hands clasped behind their backs and feet set firmly at shoulder-width. I casually assessed the garden. It was meticulously kept with expensive trees placed in seemingly precise locations—as if every consideration had been taken before planting anything. The landscaping consisted entirely of exotic plants, flowers and bushes, and even though I knew next to nothing about such things, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were expensive. Great care had been taken in trimming the trees and bushes so that the walk felt more like I was traipsing through an outdoor art exhibit.
The varieties of shrubbery all had characteristics of Bonsai trees—plants that were maintained and cultivated as a form of active meditation that many Buddhists practiced. The older the plant, the more valuable they became. And each tree looked very, very old.
I knew the three men before us were dangerous because they looked entirely relaxed. They looked ready to move at even the faintest gesture of a threat, but they looked mellow and inviting doing it. Their stances reminded me of water.
Feathers and Fire Series Box Set 2 Page 60
